Belgium to recognise Palestinian statehood, sanction Israel

Belgium will recognise Palestine as an independent state at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which is to convene later this month.

The country will also be imposing sanctions on the Israeli government, including a ban on the import of products from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and a review of public procurement policies with Israeli companies.

The Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prevot, announced this on Tuesday, stating that the decision has been made in light of Israel’s attempt to relaunch the illegal E1 settlement project in the occupied East Jerusalem. A move that affects the possibility of a two-state solution.

In a post made on X, Mr Prevot, who is also the deputy prime minister, said, “Palestine will be recognised by Belgium at the UN session! And firm sanctions will be imposed against the Israeli government.”

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“We’ve seen the horrible situation on the ground, with people starving, and it’s totally unacceptable. Cutting off all humanitarian aid is a war crime.”

Mr Prevot also expressed concerns about the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza enclave.

Condition of recognition

His announcements come weeks after President Emmanuel Macron declared that France would recognise the state of Palestine.

“In keeping with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine,” he said in July.

So far, at least 142 of the 193 UN member states already recognise or have pledged to recognise Palestine, with more countries signaling their intention to follow suit as the Israeli-Hamas conflict drags on and Palestinian casualties from Israeli strikes continue to rise.

Israel and the United States have criticised the decision to recognise Palestine as a state, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling the move a reckless decision.

He had also earlier announced that the US would deny and revoke visas for Palestinian officials in advance of the UNGA, which will be held in New York.

Israel has killed 59,587 Palestinians and imposed severe restrictions on aid deliveries, which have heightened the severe hunger crisis in Gaza.

Belgium’s recognition, however, would only be formalised after the last captive is freed from Gaza and Hamas no longer plays any role in governing Palestine.

Mr Prevot said, “From an intellectual point of view, the recognition of a state should be with no conditions.

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“But we also have to manage the different sensitivities within the Belgian coalition. We are five parties, and we are not necessarily aligned.”

However, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, in a statement, welcomed Belgium‘s announcement.

The ministry also urged other countries to do the same.

It also appealed to countries to “intensify practical efforts to stop the crimes of genocide, displacement, starvation, and annexation, and to open a real political path to resolve the conflict”.

France and Saudi Arabia will co-host the meeting on Palestinian recognition during the UNGA on September 22.